Frightening facts about Friday the 13th

Clearly, fear of Friday the 13th is no small thing; it even has its own name: Friggatriskaideaphobia. That’s a mouthful … matching the fear’s impact around the world. Don’t believe us? Well, consider these facts:

Flight bookings fall by 27% on Friday the 13th.

The stock market takes a hit every Friday the 13th. (The worst was in October 1989, when the S&P 500 dropped by over 6%.)

Many buildings (including hospitals!) don’t have a 13th floor.

Some even believe the crucifixion occurred on Friday the 13th. And let’s be clear. They don’t come around often, but there’s also no escaping them: there’s at least one every year.

Ready for some good news? You can see them coming. Every month that starts on a Sunday will have a Friday the 13th. And sure, looking at a calendar can accomplish the same thing (seeing if one is coming up), but that’s still a pretty neat trick.